Insurgents Attack In Western Iraq
Marines Downplay Disruption During Talks With Tribal Leaders
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Play CBS Video Video New Candor On Iraq Is the Bush administration's public relations strategy regarding the war in Iraq shifting? Over the past two days the president and others have, taken up a new candor, John Roberts reports.
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Video Fighting Wounded More than 15,000 American troops have been injured in Iraq. David Martin reports from Walter Reed and talks with the first double amputee Marine to return to active duty.
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Video Iraqi Insurgents Fight Back President Bush says the U.S. military will not rest in Iraq. However, Kimberly Dozier reports that insurgents are waging their own offensive.
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U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Kevin Van Arsdale, left and Cpl. Richard Guadalupe, provide security at the back of their Amphibious Assault Vehicle in Saadah, Iraq, Dec. 1, 2005. (AP)
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Iraqis and U.S. Marines patrol Saadah, Dec. 1, 2005 (AP)
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A girl peers into a house where U.S. and Iraqi forces questioned residents in Saadah, Dec. 1, 2005 (AP)
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raqi soldiers question a man during a raid in Saadah, near the border with Syria, Dec. 1, 2005 (AP)
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A picture allegedly showing kidnapped German archeologist Susanne Osthoff, blindfolded, third from left, and her driver, second from right, with captors, Nov. 25, 2005. (AP /APTN)
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Interactive Attacks Map Details on the insurgency and terrorism that has continued to take lives since the fall of Saddam.
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Interactive Saddam's Judgment Background on the former Iraqi leader's alleged crimes, his life and capture, plus video and photos.
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
Since last spring, combined American and Iraqi forces have been tightening the noose, starting in Tel Afar up north, and working their way down along the border. Now they're working down the Euphrates river, toward Baghdad.
Their next objective is to blanket Ramadi with joint American-Iraqi patrols in the next two weeks, to make it safe for people to vote in mid-December.
That may explain the new push by the insurgents, says Dozier. They can see the Americans getting closer and closer, town by town, so they're going on the offensive before Ramadi is so full of troops that they won't be able to move.
Iraqi militias like the Wolf Brigade operating throughout the country have made people question who's really in control of Iraq's security forces, and why the Americans are looking for alternatives, reports Logan.
"Frankly the army and the police aren't doing very well," answers the Wolf Brigade commander, Brigadier General Amir al-Dulaimi. "We can't provide adequate security. We need the Americans to help us. We are still in need of the Americans' help whether we want it or not."
"When Americans go out they have their knives, torches, pistols, everything but we don't," said Pvt. Mahmoud Kassem, "so if there's a battle we get killed but the Americans don't.
A U.S. military spokesman denies the Iraqis don't have what they need.
"We are working in great detail with the Iraqi authorities to ensure that the Iraqi units are properly equipped," Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch told McCormick. "This idea that they have poor equipment or inadequate equipment or not sufficient equipment is not founded."
"Anywhere in the country?" asked McCormick
"No," replied Lynch.
Interior Minister Bayan Jabr fired Nouri al-Nouri, the ministry's chief inspector for corruption cases and human rights violations, on the order of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, an official said.
Al-Nouri, a Shiite Muslim, had been in the post since the hand over of sovereignty to Iraqi in June 2004.
Al-Jaafari, a Shiite, ordered a probe into the alleged mistreatment of up to 173 detainees after U.S. forces entered a ministry of interior lock up on Nov. 13 and found at least some of those being held showed signs of torture.
©MMV CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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